Design Research in Information Systems ― Theory and Practice

The study of Information Systems (IS) design is an essential part of the education of IS students and professionals. The purpose of this book is to provide a thorough reference on Design Science Research (DSR), and it comes from two authors closely identified with DSR – Alan Hevner and Samir Chatterjee. As founders of the Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology (DESRIST) annual conference, and as leading educators and researchers in the field, these authors, along with several invited contributors , are uniquely qualified to create this easy-to-read, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-apply text/reference.

Suitable for graduate courses in IS, computer science, software engineering, engineering design and other design-oriented fields, it can be used as a core text or a reference for doctoral seminars in DSR. IS faculty and researchers will find much of value here as well. It requires no extensive background in design and can be appreciated by practitioners working in IS or technology design. Its 18 chapters are all individually referenced, and two appendices provide a reprint of the seminal 2004 MISQ paper by Hevner, March, Park, and Ram, as well as a list of exemplar papers in Design Science. The book provides a thorough introduction to DSR, a look at DSR in IS, examinations of DSR frameworks and design theory, and a look at the key principles of DSR in IS. Other chapters look at design for software-intensive systems, people and design, the past and present of software designs, evaluation methods, focus-group use, design creativity, and a design language for knowledge management systems.

Later chapters explore integrating action research with design research, design science in management disciplines, a critical realist perspective of DSR in IS, a taxonomic look at design of emerging digital services, the dissemination of DSR, and, finally, a look at the future for DSR in IS.